Integrating the Common-Pool Resource Management Approach in Rural Artisanal Gold Mines of Eastern Uganda In Pursuit of Socio-Economic Justice

This chapter explores the paradox of artisanal gold mining in eastern Uganda, with a particular focus on Namayingo District. This district is home to abundant gold resources, yet also experiences extreme poverty and environmental degradation. Drawing on field research and insights from the Economic Justice Institute (Maputo, 2017), the study argues that gold functions as a common-pool resource (CPR), requiring collective management to achieve socio-economic justice. The unregulated and exploitative nature of mining undermines community well-being, revealing the inadequacy of individualistic economic models. The CPR management approach offers a participatory, ethical framework emphasising advocacy, empowerment and sustainable governance to achieve equitable resource distribution and ecological balance.